What’s Going On In Middlesbrough This Month?

Hi there guys and gals, a bit of a different post today. I wont be blogging about roofing but I will be making a post about the great town of Middlesbrough itself.
I rarely blog about the Boro but I thought why not? We are from the Boro after all so this post is going to be dedicated to my home town.
There are many things that go on in Middlesbrough, there’s good food (not just the good old parmo ), good music, bars and many other things to do in Middlesbrough and Teesside. So lets get started!

FREE BEER!

image source: www.gazettelive.co.uk

The Curing House on Middlesbrough’s Bedford Street has launched a new weekly event to give people the chance to try more unusual wines and beers – for free.
Owner Peter Walker, said: “We hope our Open Bottle Thursdays are a chance for people to try something they might not have had before. Lots of our wines and beers are exclusive to us and quite hard to find so we’re trying to bring something different to Teesside.”
Read More…

I love this! There are quite a few small micro bars and wine bars popping up in Middlesbrough that are offering something different from the usual drinks offered in a Wetherspoons or any other typical bar you frequent often.
I think this is a great trend that will give Boro something diversified as we do have a very popular University so there are people from many different parts of the UK and even the world who move to Middlesbrough to study and/or live so this gives them something different to enjoy.
Plus FREE BEER! You can’t go wrong there let’s be honest. Awesome story. Let’s continue with Bedford Street as this street has certainly changed over the years from a run down street that was looking pretty drab to one of the liveliest in Boro!

Different worlds, 300 metres apart: how two areas sum up Middlesbrough’s fate

image: Before and after … Bedford Street, Middlesbrough in 2015 and 2016. Composite: Peter Reimann/Evening Gazette

They call it Middlesbrough’s answer to London’s Borough Market. A trendy bazaar of delis, micropubs and cocktail bars line a red-brick street that would not look out of place in the fancier parts of the capital.
Two years ago Bedford Street was empty. A neglected shell of derelict shops in the heart of Middlesbrough town centre. Now it and parallel Baker Street are thriving, and a queue of lunchtime punters file out of David Beattie’s independent coffee shop.
Read more…

This street has a number of cool little micro pubs that offer specialised beers, lagers and wines that you would struggle to find even in London! Be sure to check this one out when passing by, or even make a point of going as you’re sure to find something you like.
Bedford Street has definitely come a long way in just a short two years and is now on of the busiest streets in Boro and has a lot to offer anyone who is looking to chill out after work.
Whether that’s a quiet coffee or a loud Friday night Bedford Street has you covered, plus it is conveniently situated next to Baker Street which also has a lot going for it so be sure to check it out when near by.
Now let move on to Dundas House.

20,000 Sq Ft Middlesbrough Town Centre Letting For New Wellbeing Centre

Middlesbrough Council is taking a five year lease on 19,820 sq ft of office accommodation on floors one to four inclusive at Dundas House, Dundas Street, Middlesbrough, TS1 1BA, and in unit 11, a retail unit in the associated Dundas Shopping Centre, to provide the new Live Well Centre which will offer services to empower people to make positive choices to improve their health and wellbeing.
Read more…

This is most definitely needed in Boro as in many places in the UK as we just don’t take our health as seriously as we should. There are many reasons why our health is not up to standard but here one delicious reason why.

This is a ‘delicacy’ in Middlesbrough, it looks very greasy I know but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it so I am glad that Middlesbrough Council is shedding light on this problem and getting us to ask questions so fair play.
There are number of great gyms in the Boro so hopefully people will start too take there health a little bit more seriously with this but let’s be honest…we already know that we need too but don’t tell anyone.
Well that’s it for today folks. A bit different from my normal type of post but I thought that it would be interesting to talk a little bit about my home town as there are people who read this blog who aren’t from the area and Middlesbrough does get a bit of a bad rap so this is just a small piece of information about why Boro is always improving as a place to study and live and I believe that it has a bright future ahead of it.
Thanks for reading.
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Is SIG partnering with PolyVision?

Hi there people of the internet, Roofer Pro Middlesbrough here with a new blog post, there has been a couple of big announcements for some high quality roofing companies and I would like to talk briefly about them and shine a light on these wonderful businesses.
First up is a company I have mentioned many times on the blog and that is good old SIG. SIG have become the exclusive distribution partner for PolyVision’s a3 CeramicSteel in the UK and Ireland so this is big news for both companies.

SIG partners with PolyVision

Effective from December 2016, SIG secured the agreement in recognition of the company’s knowledge and core values within the construction industry worldwide.
Mark Fyfe, UK infrastructure director at SIG, commented: “We’re extremely excited to be adding the PolyVision a3 range to our portfolio. We strive to bring the most innovative solutions to market which support consistency in a changing world and the a3 surface fits perfectly within this strategy.”
read more…

I think this is a great move by PolyVision as SIG is a big name with vast experience in the roofing industry and they have a global focus too so this could be an awesome play so I will keep an eye on this as I expect to see some innovation from SIG here so lets wish them all the best shall we.
Partnerships help all involved so again I wish them both the best of luck.
And now for another partnership, but not a conventional one, more a large contract won but still a big deal for Burton roofing company Bracknell Roofing as they have sealed a £1.9 job with New Forest District Council, let’s take a closer look.

Bracknell secures £1.9m New Forest Council Contract

The contract will run in two phases over the next 18 months and will see around 285 of the council’s aging house stock – including detached and semi-detached houses, as well as bungalows – in Hythe and Lymington have completely new roofs. Bracknell Roofing’s Managing Director Simon Smith is delighted to secure the contract for the company.
 “The team at our Eastleigh depot, led by Paul Stubbington, must be congratulated for securing this contract in the face of stiff competition, as it is a significant contract win for Bracknell Roofing.
 “Of course, we had to be very keen on price to ensure that New Forest District Council could be sure that it was getting the best value for money – but we’d also like to think that the council was impressed with the track record we have, the quality of our work and the fact that the council could rely on us to deliver within the required timescale.”
read more here…

Absolutely love it, well done Bracknell! This is a huge deal, but lets face it, Bracknell Roofing are the UK’s second largest roof, slate and tiling contractor, with over than 400 roofers across the UK so this will be no problem for them but it’s great to see this so I am very happy for them as those 400 roofers need something to do
With all this roofing going on who will supply all those tiles? Well we don’t know for sure but with Redland boosting tile manufacturing with a multi million pound investment I think that may be a good shout.

Redland Boosts Tile Manufacturing with Multi-£M Investment

Roof tile manufacture at Redland’s Shawell plant where production is to be expanded with a multi-million pound investment. picture from www.roofingtoday.co.uk

Redland – a leading UK manufacturer and supplier of pitched roof systems – has announced that it is to build a new manufacturing line for its large-format concrete and its plain-tile appearance product, DuoPlain. The multimillion-pound investment will help secure supply into a UK market that is currently experiencing huge demand and extensive lead times, the company says.
The new line, which will come on stream later this year, will be located at the company’s Shawell plant, its most centrally-located facility. Work on the installation is underway, and a number of new skilled jobs will be created when production commences.
read full post here…

Everyone or at least most people in the roofing game love and use Redland so this is very likely welcome news to everyone but their competitors so this is great, well done to Redland for a smart move
That will be it for today folks I hope you enjoyed the post and found it useful, till next time, cheerio
Roofer Pro Middlesbrough, 27A Kings Rd, Middlesbrough, TS3 6NG

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Roofing Material Suppliers

Hi there people, Roofer Pro Middlesbrough here with a blog post. This will be a short one folks as I couldn’t find too much about our industry in the news so I think this will be a quick one.
So, Xtralite, a rooflight manufacturer that was started in 1993 and quickly became the go to company, with a great reputation for high quality products, flexible manufacturing solutions and creative designs. So why do I mention them?
Xtralite have been bought by German company Jet Group, who it seems have invested 250k into the company. They will be carry on business from their normal location in Blyth.

Jet Group takes over Xtralite

Xtralite has been acquired by German company Jet Group.
Jet Group has been manufacturing and distributing light domes across Europe for over 40 years.
Read more…

They will continue on in the UK so no change there which will be welcome news for their employees I’m sure.
I like to talk about these types of stories because it can have an effect on prices, products and general services offered by the companies that are taken over so this impacts us all. I wish both companies the best and hope they continue to grow so good luck to both companies.
There was also another roofing company bought recently so let’s take a look at that story too.

Further growth planned for Roofing Supplies business

South West-based roofing materials supplier Roofing Supplies Ltd (RSL) is set for further growth after its new owner pledged to develop the business in the region.
Read More…

RSL was bought by private investment firm Longhouse Group so another Group here
RSL have been growing well over the years and this obviously have not gone un-noticed by investment companies so this I guess will be welcome news for both companies as mergers or buys like this often strengthen both companies and Longhouse Group does have experience in the construction industry so I will keep an eye on RSL and see what happens in the near future but I do hope that their growth continues on as normal which would be great!
RSL supply builders and roofers with a wide range of roofing materials that include flat or pitched roofs and many more so we’ll keep an eye out for any new materials from them if that is part of the plan.
Of course, with all these roofing materials they have to be put to good use right? Well, when is the best time to replace your roof?
Let’s take a look at what our friends over at Abbey Roofing have to say on the matter.

When Is the Best Time of Year to Replace My Roof?

While roofing contractors work year-round to install and repair roofs, and a high quality roofer will guarantee the same standards of work regardless of the season, the weather and temperature at the time of a roof replacement can impact on how easy the process is, and how much it will cost. To help you get to grips with the best time of year to replace your roof, we’ve got all the information you need on how the season affects the workmanship of a roof replacement, and when’s the most convenient time to book in your service.
Read More…

I definitely would read the whole article if you are considering a re-roof it is full of great advice so I would check tht one out if I was you, lots of quality info there.
That’s all for this week folks, I know I know it’s a small one but I didn’t find much that interested me to be honest but if you found anything interesting that I may of missed then let us know via Twitter, you can find us @rooferproboro
Thanks for reading
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Is There a Shortage In Roofers?

Hi there people, Roofer Pro Middlesbrough here with a new blog post. Bit late with a blog post this week but I have been busy but we are here so lets get on with it shall we.
For people who are regular readers of the blog you will know that I like to talk about new roofers coming into the roofing industry so this was not welcome news but it is definitely worth talking about, what the Federation of Master Builders has found out is that there is a shortage of roofers coming through. According to the FMB, almost half of construction small to medium sized businesses are having trouble hiring roofers (46%) – so this is not good news for the future of roofing in the UK. I have talked about this before but lets have a little look at what they are talking about.

Is The Future Of Roofing In Trouble?

The skills shortage in the roofing sector and right across the UK construction industry has got worse and has now spread beyond bricklayers and carpenters to other key trades, according to the latest research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Read More: Roofing Skills Shortage Worsens, Warns FMB

It’s not just roofers then, so if you are in the construction industry at all then I really recommend this post as I trust the research from the FMB so this will be of interest to many. I will be keeping an eye on this as this type of shortage drives up costs for everyone, this has been going on since 2013, the skills shortage. And many young people are just not interested in gaining a trade today, this will most likely continue and you can bet that good quality roofing contractors will be charging a lot more as prices are driven up when there is a shortage of anything.

The Government’s The 10-point plan

It looks like the Government has noticed this and has stated that it is going to take an active role in this, but as most people above the age of 10 will know, everything Government does makes things worse pretty much every time so I hope they stay away to be honest. It’s very rare that I have ever been, or even known anyone who knows of a time that they have ever been pleasently suprised with Government actions, mainly the opposite actuall,y so lets hope they don’t mess this one up because we all know they tend to make things much much worse!

Prime Minister Theresa May this week announced the Government’s ideas on “boosting support for industry” and “Government stepping up to a new active role” with the release of its Industrial Strategy for the post-Brexit economy.
Read More: The 10-point plan

Again, I hope they leave us roofers alone but I doubt it. They are also saying that because of Brexit that we are going to lose some of our workers but I have mentioned this before, we live in a global economy with people emigrating all the time, so it’s not as bad as it looks and this will get around so if there is a shortage then roofers from around the world will come here because there will be a lot of opportunity, as people all through out history have done so I am not too worried about this.
There was too much this week folks so this is unfortunately a short blog post so this will be it, again, I highly recommend the FMB post above as this will be important going forward but I am always optimistic as cycles of the economy are natural. As the late great Jim Rohn said. Life is opportunity mixed with difficulty, so things will naturally get better, then worse, then better again, so us roofers will also have to weather these types of storms just like everyone else. Thanks for reading.

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Solar Roofs In Scotland?

Roofing News From Glasgow

Hi there people. Roofer Pro Middlesbrough here back with a new post. Lets get started with a very large roofing job that was completed in Glasgow, the job at first was just to install some solar panels on the roof but after an inspection was completed it was clear that the whole roof needed replacing, and this is an 1,800m² as well, yikes!
The problem seamed to be that the roof structure was ever inended to stand the weight of natural slate tiles! So they stripped the roof and fitted some Redland Cambrian Slates in stead. Bit of a headache but let’s be honest, they determined that the roof only had about 10 years left so it’s very possible that a disaster was averted here!
Lets take a little look at what went down in Glasgow town.

The commission to install solar panels on a sensitive, fully operational building in central Glasgow was a tall order in itself, but an inspection of the existing slate-composite roof showed that it had less than 10 years of life left.
Read the full article here: Cambrian Slate courts success in Scotland

I honestly think they may have dodged a bullet here because any roof that isn’t stable is very very dangerous but one of this size could cause untold damage and injury so I believ this was the best outcome for everyone involved. Even tho it must of cost the company a fortune if that thing gave way then it would be so much worse so this just goes to show that a roof inspection from time to time is an extremely good choice as this story here shows. Let’s hope they enjoy their new roof and the energy savings they get from the solar.
Homepage

Roofing For a Zoo?

From the cold air of Glasgow we now go to the hot and humid air of Chester Zoo’s Monsoon Forest. They had a problem with the roofing because of the environment but waterproofing specialist, Kemper System have come to save the day.

Waterproofing specialist, Kemper System, has provided the roofing solution for a hot and humid environment in the heart of leafy Cheshire at Chester Zoo’s £40m ‘Islands’ development.
Read More Here: KEMPER SYSTEM PROVIDES SOLUTION FOR CHESTER ZOO’S MONSOON FOREST

Awesome story this and a big one for the CV – Chester Zoo! Big deal this so well done to Kemper System. They have been providing solutions from 1957 I believe so definitely the right choise by Chester Zoo in my opinion and probably one of the only companies who could pull it off so nice job Kemper.

Flat Roofing

With all this talk of big businesses it’s nice to see smaller companies making a name for themselves and that is just what has happened for a flat roofing specialist from Sheffield called Martin Brooks, lets take a look shall we.

Word is spreading about Martin-Brooks’ flat roofing skills, so much so, requests for the Sheffield-based firm’s services are coming from all four corners of mainland UK.
Read Full Post Here: Martin-Brooks takes flat roofing road trip

This is awesome to see, I love to see the smaller roofing businesses getting a fair crack at the whip so it’s nice to see Martin Brooks doing what he does best and being recognised for it so this is a most welcome story. You can find Martin Brooks Roofing here: http://www.martin-brooks.co.uk
Of course, if you need flat roofing in middlesbrough then be sure to give us a call on 01642 931685 but if you are outside of Teesside then check Martin out for sure.
I think that s a great place to end this blog post, we gave the bigger boys some wel deserved attention but then Martin came in to show all of us small roofing companies that if we produce work to a high standard then it will get recognised, and you never know when so always be at your best and it will pay off in the end. So with all of that being said, be sure to come back next week for your weekly dose of all things roofing, and also be sure to check out Roofer Pro Middlesbrough on social media to stay up to date with what we’re doing. Cheers.

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Roofing In 2017, Where Will It Go?

Roofing in 2017

Hi guys and gals, happy new year. I thought I would start this post of with some news about roofing in this new year of 2017. I think that it will grow but this is just my opinion but there has been a pretty big acquisition recentely but before we move onto that I would like to mention what I believ to be a wrong forcast from a Man I have no problm with, this is not an attack on Ian I just have a difference of opinion that’s all.

So, let’s hear what Ian Anfield had to say about the construction industry as a whole. Ian is Managing Director of Hudson Contract, a construction audit and contract provider based in Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

“There’s no escaping the fact that Brexit will dominate the news and political agenda in 2017 and will have a massive impact on UK construction. This is primarily because we rely so heavily on EU labour to man our construction sites. Possible trade tariffs and US protectionism could shake up the materials markets in 2017, as well as the weakening of the pound increasing the cost of imported goods.“

Read more: Mixed Predictions for Construction in 2017

I’m not too worried about Brexit, he says that “we rely heavily on EU labour to man our sites” but we have many great workers from all over the world here. I’ve worked with people from Latin America, Australia, South East Asia and so on, all outside the EU. Plus there are many fine young British Men and Women out there who are unemployed and are more than capable of manning our sites so for me this is not that big of a deal.

Plus, with UK house prices rising in 2016 I don’t see a bad future ahead, thoses houses have roofs that need fitting and fixing so here is place for optimism I believe.

The average UK property price increased from £202,66 3to £216,674 in the year to 1 October 2016, a 6.9% increase.

The largest increases in house prices were found in the East of England (12.3%), the South East (9.1%) and London (7.7%). The North East had the smallest increase (2.7%). No regions saw a decrease in house prices.

Read full post here: House Prices Rose by 6.9% Average in 2016

Plus I may have mentioned this in another recent blog I do forget so please forgive me if that’s the case but remeber, the construction industry is large but the roofig is much smalle than the whole construction niche, so let’s see what Sarah Harding of Marley Eternit had to say on the roofing specifically.

What’s in store for the roofing sector in 2017

Despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the roofing sector has performed better than expected during 2016. The chronic shortage of housing in the UK and Government focus on increasing the volume of new homes, means the housebuilding sector is still very buoyant, with housing supply increasing by 52% in the last three years.

Read more here

Now, onto the big acquisition I mentioned above, this is a massive deal here, lets have a little look at what happened.

Avonside Group Acquires Ploughcroft

Ploughcroft, the Halifax-based eco-roofing specialist, has been acquired by one of the largest roofing companies in Britain, Avonside Group Services Limited.

The deal will result in the creation of 25 new jobs in the region over the next two years.

Read More: 25 jobs to be created as Avonside Group acquires Halifax’s Ploughcroft in major deal

I wish them all the best and the reason I started with this is because of th new jobs that are to be created, meaning more roofers in work which is always nice to see, especially with all of the young roofers coming through who have a bright futur ahead of them this is always great to see. It means that there is money in the roofing game still which shows it’s not a dying trade like many have and will go in the near future with the way technology is making many people now obsolete so this is welcome news.

One of the aims that Avonside has for Ploughcroft is the expansian into other parts of Yorkshire and even the North West in the next 2 years, this it seem will be the domestic market but who knows what will happen but I definitely wish them all the luck, but I’m hoping they won need luck. Great story.

Related Story: Are BMF And NFRC Announcing A Strategic Partnership?

That will be all or today folks, net week I will have more information about predictions and forecats for the roofing industry in 2017 but this post will get too long if I talk about all of it so I don’t want it to e too big so that’s it for the Roofer Pro Middlesbrough Blog and like I said, come back next week fo more roofing news, untill then people.

Published Here First: Roofing In 2017, Where Will It Go?

New Single Ply Brochures Are Out

Hi there people, Roofer Pro Middlesbrough here with some roofing news here. First thing is, I hope you all had a great Christmas and I would like to wish you all a happy new year and I wish you a successful 2017. Again, this week wasn’t crazy busy in terms of news but we are in the holidas now so this is not a huge suprise as most people have other things on their mind and want to enjoy time with family and friends and so on so this is to be expected so with that said, lets start with some news from IKO Polymeric and there new brochure.

Market-leading single ply manufacturer IKO Polymeric has launched two new brochures for its Armourplan® PVC and Spectraplan TPE membranes. The A5 landscape brochures are aimed at specifiers and contractors who work with single ply or want to know more.

Read more here: New Single Ply Brochures Launched for Armourplan® & Spectraplan

This is a great brochure and is packed with professional photography that show many great examples of Armourplan and Spectraplan in action across a diverse range of projects. To view or order the new brochure then you can call IKO Polymeric on 01257 488000 or altearnatvely you can visit the IKO Polymeric website or even follow IKO on Twitter @ikopolymeric.

More news on young lads getting involved in the roofing industry and doing well, this time we here from good old SIG roofing about their support for the young roofers coming through. Let’s get a little taste of what they’re talking about.

As a national SkillBuild finalist; Will Emerton has been able to put the valuable skills and experience gained from completing his Level 3 NVQ in Roof Slating and Tiling to good use in this year’s competition. Will’s tutor Chris Messenger brimmed with pride when he told us how Will is “an ambassador for the college” and how the qualification has set Will on the path to be a great future roofer!

Read More Here: SIG Roofing Academy Supports SkillBuild Finalist

I’ve talked about roofers coming into the industry many times on this blog and always in a positive manner and there’s no difference here. I love to see people coming into the roofing game as this is an important business because most home owners or landlords will most likely need a roofer to fix or fit some part or all of their roof at some point and with steadily rising solar panel installations aswell then it’s going to be young lads like Will who will be delivering the job that you need so let’s all wish Will a great a long career!

 

Congrats to LCB student William Emerton for coming 1st in the regional heat- Roof Slating & Tiling #SkillBuild2016 #proud @emertonroofing

— LeedsCollegeBuilding (@LCB_Building) 24 June 2016

And let’s not forget that we are now into winter and the weather is letting us know what time of year it is now so there are a few things to watch out for. Luckily our friends at SageRoofing.co.uk have put together a great blog post on the matter so let’s have a little look at what they have to say.

A harsh winter can cause a number of issues for your roof so staying on top of roof maintenance is important. Heavy duty snow and ice build up will slowly see roof layers beginning to erode, in which gaps and holes will develop. As roofs are exposed to the natural elements 365 days a year, they require regular maintenance to ensure they stay in top notch condition.

Read More Here: Importance of Roof Maintenance During Winter

I highly recommend that you give this great post a read. Very interesting and also has some good tips for people so I definitely suggest giving this a little attention. Of course the winter can really be hard on your roof and a little roof repair will be needed by many people as is the case each winter. Be sure to follow Sage Roofing on Twitter, Google Plus and Facebook.

Related Article: Will There Roofs Recover In Time?

That will be all for today folks, again not too much news around but that is to be expected at this time of the year, again I wish you all a great new year and a happy and successful 2017.

 

Published Here First: New Single Ply Brochures Are Out

Tools Of The Roofing Trade

What Tools Do Roofers Use

Well, this introduction might not be needed because the title pretty much sums it up but why not. This may not be a big post because there are so many tools that we use that this would be a 5000 word post so I just have the time for this but I do enjoy writing on the Roofer Pro Middlesbrough blog and I couldn’t find too much to talk about this week so I thought I would make a post about the tools that roofers like or need to use, I normally like to blog about what is going on in the roofing industry but again I didn’t see too much going on that I haven’t already talked about but I thought that this may be a bit different and this is why I decided to talk about tools, so here goes, plus, if you have a special some one in your life who is a roofer then this may give you some ideas for a nice christmas present for them

Torche For Flat Roofs

This is the Exact 2 Head Torch Complete Kit from www.toolsforroofing.co.uk This is used for drying the felt on flat roofs, this is pretty much an essential tool for any flat roofer and is a main stay of any roofers van. These can get expensive but you’re able to find one of these or similar for about £75 at the low end and up to £200+ on the high end. A very useful tool indeed.

Slate Hammers

The good old Slate Hamer, the one above is the Freund Universal Slate Hammer with Leather Grip which is offered by RoofingSuperstore.co.uk. There are hundreds of these but they are an absolute must for any roofing contractor! These have been around for years and very very useful for anyone who is replacing tiles on roofs.

Hammer!

A roofer is nothing without his hammer! Well not nothing that s a bit extreme but if you’re on a roof without you trusty hammer you will feel naked, it is definitely a must. The hammer above is a great pick, this is the The Roughneck VRS Low Vibe Roofers Hammer from Marshall Industrial, not the cheapest hammer as a cheap £5 hammer will do the job but it’s only just over £27 so not too expensive either. A great choice in my opinion but like I said, you can go for a cheap second hand one but I recommend a higher quality hammer as it will last longer and do a better job as well.

Hand Saw

Sorting out rotted wood by is an almost daily job that need to be completed by most roofers, obviously this depends on the typre of work being done but it certainly common so a good saw if a must. The saw above is the 20” 3G Triple Ground Hardpoint Hand Saw with Soft Comfort Handle Grip offered agin by our friends over at Roofing Superstore, at £12.50 including VAT I think this is a good choice.

Tape Measure

Last one is the very trusty tape measure. You will likely find one of these trusty tools in every roofer’s utility belt. Every one has their favorite brandbut as long as you can get a 25 foot or more then most brands will do but again, spending a little bit more will be advised because you will be using this a lot!

The one above is the Stanley Fatmax Pro Short Tape Measure 10m x 32mm offered by good old Screfix.

This will do for today folks, not that much news I could find unfortunately this week but I did want to make a post as I want to post every week unless I just can’t as life happens to us all but these are some of the tools that roofers really need so I thought I would make a post about this. Thanks for reading.

 

Published Here First: Tools Of The Roofing Trade

Which Apprentice Wins World Roofing Championships?

Round up of Roofing Industry December

Hi there readers of the blog. We have some roofing news for you here, I am sure you can guess what our first port of call is by the title but I do like to speak about the new breed of roofers coming into the industry as they are the future so lets begin with our first story shall we?

LRWA Apprentice Wins World Roofing Championships

A former Liquid Roofing and Waterproofing Association (LRWA) apprentice is encouraging more roofers to consider training opportunities after he scooped a prestigious award at the World Championship for Young Roofers. (from roofingtoday.co.uk)

Organised by International Federation for the Roofing Trade (IFD), Ben Revit, 22, won the President’s Prize for Innovation in the waterproofing category, after competing against nine other countries during the three-day tournament in Warsaw, Poland.

Read more here: LRWA Apprentice Wins World Roofing Championships

First off all I would like to congratulate Ben on his wonderful performance, very well done. Let’s hear what Ben had to say about winning: “I couldn’t be happier to have won the award – the reason I was even able to compete in the World Championships for Young Roofers was because of the training that was offered to me by BriggsAmasco and LRWA”

I have talked about the Roofing Championships on this blog a few times and I am glad to see more young lads coming through through so impressively I think there is a bright future for the roofing industry, especially with the popularity of solar panels increasing all the time. So I am happy to see more of this type of thing.

LRWA Apprentice Wins World Roofing Championships https://t.co/64SF6cx6yZ @LRWAssociation #roofing #liquidroofing pic.twitter.com/D7gI8bfxGq

— Roofing Today (@RoofingToday) December 9, 2016

 

So, with the future of roofers in good hands lets look at what the history of the industry will be for these young lads coming through.

Roofing in 2017

Despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the roofing sector has performed better than expected during 2016. The chronic shortage of housing in the UK and Government focus on increasing the volume of new homes, means the housebuilding sector is still very buoyant, with housing supply increasing by 52% in the last three years.

Read more here: What’s in store for the roofing sector in 2017

Again, I wrote about this not too long ago and talked about the doom and gloom propaganda puppets and how they blow things out of proportion so this is not a huge surprise for me, plus all industries experience ups and downs it’s perfectly natural.

Related Article: Has Brexit Effected The Roofing Industry?

It’s good to see growth in both the roofing industry and in the number of skilled roofers coming through so all looks well and good for now so lets hope this continues!

I’m going to embed one more video here for those contractors who need a fire lighting up their arse, here is good old Grant Cardone talking to some General Contractors, Roofing Contractors, Fire/Water Restoration Companies, Public Adjusters, and other industry entrepreneurs at the upcoming “Win The Storm” Annual Conference and Tradeshow Expo – Miami Beach.

Be warned tho Grant is full on but is a master of sales and all businesses need sales, including roofing companies in Middlesbrough and beyond so here is the video, enjoy.

That’s all from the Roofer Pro Middlesbrough Blog today folks, be sure to check us out next week for more roofing goodness.

Published Here First: Which Apprentice Wins World Roofing Championships?

Roofing News and Updates End Of November

Roundup Of The Roofing Industry End Of November

Lets take a look at what’s happening in the roofing industry this week shall we? OK, you twisted my arm. There have been a few interesting things happenning and a great contest at the NEC as well too see what the young lads coming into the industry have up their sleeves so I suppose we should begin.

OMG Roofing Products Expansion

So, OMG Roofing Products are expanding into Europe. Great news for them, they are opening a factory in Holland, I actually used to live in Holland for 2 years, very beautiful place.

To support accelerated sales growth in Europe, OMG Roofing Products has established a new warehouse in Rotterdam and has added language specific micro-sites at the company’s website: www.OMGRoofing.com.
Read More Here: OMG Roofing Products Expands in Europe

It’s always great to see roofing companies growing like this it really is. I am very happy for them and I believe this will be a good move for them as Rotterdam is a good location for distribution accross Europe. OMG started in the US but hae grown past their borders with sites in Britain, Spain, Holland and Germany so it looks like OMG are experencing healthy growth. Let’s see what the Vice President of Marketing had to say: “By adding new warehousing and language-specific micro-sites, we are building a stronger foundation for accelerated growth by improving our service and expanding distribution.”

More Young Lads Coming Into Roofing Industry

If you have been reading my blog long then you will know that I love to see new roofers getting into roofing so you can imagine my delight when I read this story. A big congratulations for all involved and especially to the winners!

The winner of SkillBuild 2016 – William Emerton. He is pictured alongside Silver medalist Sam Blount (right) and Bronze medalist Andrew Emerton (left)

After two and half days of intense competition at the 2016 Skills Show at the NEC Birmingham, the NFRC has announced the winners of SkillBuild, with congratulations going to:

• Gold – William Emerton – Leeds College of Building – Emerton Roofing (Western)
• Silver – Sam Blount– St Austell College – Graham Barker Roofing Services
• Bronze – Andrew Emerton – Leeds College of Building – Emerton Roofing (Western)

Read the full article here: Future of roofing is in safe hands as winners of SkillBuild revealed

Very good to see this type of thing going on so well done to the NFRC for putting on such wonderful show. I bet it was a lot of fun for all those involved but obviously nerve wracking for the contestants but it’s awesome to see this happening as we definitely need new blood comng through so here’s to th NFRC. Lets actually take a look at what NFRC head of training had to say on the matter: “The standard throughout the regional heats was phenomenal, so we were anticipating a highly-charged final and we weren’t proved wrong. Our eight roof slating and tiling apprentices each proved to be worthy finalists and displayed an exceptional level of skill whilst constructing their competition piece.“  Livia Williams is the head of training in case you weren’t aware so to connect with Livia you can check out her Linked In Profile Here and also be sure to check out her very active Twitter Profile which I highly recommend following.
Tweets by WilliamsLivia

And Now For The New Leading Edge Range Rrom Russell Roof Tiles

Russell Roof Tiles have created some new and thinner roof tiles that good old SIG Roofing have been talking about, let’s take a quick look at what Russell Roof Tiles have been upto, I think you may like it as they have certainly made their new tiles a lot safer to move around.

There are some things you just can’t avoid in roofing: climbing up and down ladders and working at height are just some that spring to mind! That’s why having the right tools for the job can make all the difference. The Bute ‘Thinner Leading Edge’ range of tiles from Russells are lighter and easier to handle
Read More Here: You Bute!

These new tiles are about 30% lighter than the standard flat interlocking tiles so this is great news for anyone moving these up or downs peoples homes, much safer and easier and I hope this continues as it can be unsafe sometimes transporting tools or materials onto a roof so this is very welcome I’m sure!

Rusty Cladding Panels?

McElroy Metal have been busy creating a cool weathered look to their cladding, this is novel idea and we will have to see if it’s something people would like t adopt, here is a little bit more information about it.

Cor-Ten AZP Raw offers the look of aged or weathered roofing and cladding.

McElroy Metal has made available Cor-Ten AZP Raw, which offers the look of aged or weathered roofing and cladding. Cor-Ten AZP Raw is a fluoropolymer coating system that uses cool pigment technology McElroy Metal applies over Galvalume-coated steel sheet.
Read More Here: Roof and Cladding Panels Look Like Rusted Metal

I think you’ve had enough excitement for one day, so I will end this post. I think the big take away was that roofing products are getting better and lighter and that we can look forward to seeing new roofers coming into the industry and making a difference so that will be all.
Roofer Pro Middlesbrough – 27A Kings Rd, Middlesbrough, TS3 6NG
Published Here First: Roofing News and Updates End Of November

Roofing Suppliers Ups And Downs

Whats Happening With Roofing Suppliers?

The roofing supply industry like any industry has it’s ups and downs, and so do companies in the same industry (no s#@t sherlock) so I thought that this should be the theme for this short blog post, 2 companies here, the first not doing so good and the second doing much better, so lets beging with the first business, SIG Roofing.

SIG Roofing’s Head Steps Down Amid Bad Profit Forecast

I’m not sure how this one got past me because I’m a big fan of SIG  and I have mentioned them on this blog before so I do hope they come out of this much stronger, SIG have been in the Roofing Industry for over 40 years I believe so lets hope this is just a little down period. It doesn’t look like it’s their fault as I think many people have had similar results after Brexit.

The head of British building materials suppler SIG is stepping down after the company said it would miss 2016 profit forecasts due to weak demand, tougher competition and delays to some projects after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union.

Shares in the insulation, roofing and interior fittings firm plunged as much as 24 percent to a four-year low of 88.2 pence on Friday, and are on track for their worst day ever.

Read More Here: UK building materials firm SIG warns on profit, CEO goes

I hope they recover and I am sure they will because it would be a great loss to roofing in the UK for such a great company to fall but I’m sure they will recover and I hope to see them in business for many years to come!

Monier Roofing Leading The Way Out Back For Roof Tiles

Now lets take a look at Monier Roofing shall we, I know I know, a bit far away but I like to keep up to date with what is happening in the global rooing market, not just the UK and Monier has mad some exciting innovations and I am all for that as it helps roofers all over the world so lets see what’s happened.

Monier Roofing has introduced a series of new product innovations to their roofing range to mark the launch of their revitalised brand. The new innovations include a revolutionary lightweight roofing material, a broader terracotta tile offering, and an advanced colour-lock coating technology.

Read More Here: Monier presents next generation roofing innovations

Increasing the quality of high performance roofing materials helps everyone, not just us roofers but also homeowners, business owners, and even the environment, so this is welcome news and I love to see this type of thing where ever it is.

Learn how Monier Roofing can handle 40 000 electronic messages a month for delivery of roof tiles on time. https://t.co/UPc2itYJjFmonier roofing roof tiles

— OpusCapita (@opuscapita) 20 September 2016

 

Our friends at Monier have a great reputation for their roof tiles in Australia and New Zealand and if you watch th video above and go through their website you will find out why, but they have been doing this for over 100 years so maybe they have a little head start I’m just being (un)funny, that is not the reason, no matter how long you have been in business you only last that long in any industry, not just the roofing one, if you know what you’re doing so lets hope they continue for another 100 years!

Man On Roof In Middlesbrough Causes Havoc

And finally for some news a bit closer to home, this was a weird one for sure but in the end no one was hurt and there wasn’t much damage done to the poor roof so alls well that ends well I suppose. Obviously it didn’t end well for the theif but that’s a good thing. Anyway here is a summary of the article.

Sean McGarrity on the roof in St Aidan’s Drive, central Middlesbrough. Picture from gazettelive.co.uk

Five police vehicles including armed response, three fire engines and two ambulance vehicles were called to the cordoned-off scene.

Dozens of people watched the suspect climbing from roof to roof, walking close to skylight windows and lying on a chimney stack with his hands behind his head.

Read the full post here: Thief talked down from rooftop by lawyer after being chased through Middlesrough is sentenced

 

Thief talked down from rooftop by lawyer after being chased through Middlesrough is sentenced: Five police vehicles… https://t.co/dMzRh1RxBG

— Middlesbrough News (@borodailynews) 21 November 2016

 

Crazy story, they even tried to coax hime down with chocolate at one point? What! Well anyway, Middlesbrough can get a little bit strange sometimes, but I had to share this story. Cheers.

Published Here First: Roofing Suppliers Ups And Downs

Roofing News On Social Media

What’s Happening On Social Media With Roofing?

Let’s have a goosey gander at what’s happening on the big social platforms shall we, this may not be the most up to date, well some will and some wont be but that’s OK, old news is still news so lets get started with someone I recentely came accross on good old WordPress.com: https://kirhammond.wordpress.com now I must warn you that she has a huge amount of artiles posted here, so be warned! This is not a bad thing the information she posts is well researched and well written, I’m just saying…it’s a lot. She also has a roofing specific category so here is the link to that: https://kirhammond.wordpress.com/category/roofing

Lets have a little sneal peak shall we.

The oldest street in Coventry features a newly built housing development that remains in keeping with the area’s historic background, thanks to the installation of Cembrit’s Jutland fibre cement slates.

Far Gosford Street is the setting of many historic stories, from the banishment of Henry IV that lead to the Wars of the Roses in 1398 to the vivid stories of the night of the November blitz in 1940. Read full article here: Cembrit BBA certified slates provide attractive finish to new housing development

I highly recommend this blog, not just for roofers but anyone who is in the construction industry as a whole. I will also add Kirsty’s Twitter Time Line as Twitter is my next port of call.

Tweets by KirHammond

Roofing News On Twitter

Look at how beautiful this house is here.

 

Looking to do some #HomeImprovements? Get in touch >>> https://t.co/19DdihHTvB #Southend #Roofing pic.twitter.com/D3aIMW2YMU

— SeemoreGlass (@SeemoreGlassUK) 10 November 2016

Very nice indeed, lets also check out some news from Roofing Today Magazine about how Brexit may effect the roofing industry.

 

#Brexit: Slowdown Forecast for #Construction https://t.co/heb2rM6eCH @CITB_UK pic.twitter.com/NiCL2o9rsN

— Roofing Today (@RoofingToday) 8 November 2016

I commented on this not so long ago on the blog, I think it may be too early to tell but I am not that worried about it because the economy works in cycles, always has always will. There will be ups and downs but the economy is built upon normal people transacting with other people or companies run by people, so unless robots replace everyone and they run and fix themselves, I doubt this will change, and anyway, I’ve seen iRobot so do I do not advise giving robots the power to build and contol themselves because if Hollywood is anything to go by, that never ends well; You have been warned!

Related Article: Has Brexit Effected The Roofing Industry?

Roofing On Youtube

Talking about robots, drones are robots aren’t they? Well roofing companies are using these things for estimates! Why didn’t I think of this?

This is awesome I love it, here is the link to the full video if you want to watch it on Youtube: Local roofing company uses drone for job estimates

And this next video is awesome, this guy really knows what he is doing and I really enjoy his videos, in this video he is tiling a roof, pretty good video if you ask me.

Great video, this channel is a good one an has lots of quality info, if you’re into roofing tht is. Here is the guys channel if you want more: Roofing Solutions By Eric Garcia

Flat Roofing On Google Plus

For some reason I can’t find the embed code for this post, I think it’s the new and horrible may I add Google Plus interface, the old one is great I don’t know why they want to mess with it so much but hey, Google give us a ton of awesome resources for free so I don’t want to bash them because I use a lot of there services but I really don’t like the new interface.

Anyway here is the post: https://plus.google.com/+Ukflatroofing/posts/TARLrZY9sYE it’s from the people over at Ukflatroofing who do some great stuff and sell some great roofing products. I really wish I could embed this post from them because the image is gorgeous but no luck I’m afraid: https://plus.google.com/+Ukflatroofing/posts/aTrVxxp74SU

That will be enough for today I think, be sure to come back for more next week for more roofing goodness.

Published Here First: Roofing News On Social Media

Do Buddhist’s Care About Environmentally Friendly Roofing?

Roofing News Roundup

Hi there guys and gals, hope your doing great! Gunna do my weekly roundup of the roofing and construction industry which I know you all look forward too don’t try to hide it! So lets get this show on the road shall we?

So, the big question on everyone’s lips is; do Buddhist’s care about the environment? I think we all know the answer but now we have proof!

Coddington Court Buddhist Centre

Somerset contractor Single Ply Services recently finished a unique project in Herefordshire: re-roofing a Buddhist Centre in the most environmentally friendly way while unobtrusively complementing the character of the building and its surrounding 16th century Coach House.

Read full article here: IKO Polymeric’s Environmentally Friendly Roof for Buddhist Centre

I love this story! I think we all knew what they would have gone with but I think it is a great sign as more and more people are starting to use more environmentally friendly roofing materials which is obviously a step in the right direction. Out of interest if you don’t have time to read the full article and are curious with what they actually went with then let me put your mind to rest.

They went with IKO Polymeric’s Spectraplan single ply membrane which is a wonderful choice because it is free from all sorts of nasty things like halogens, plasticisers, HCFCs and heavy metals, it’s made in Britain so is subject to heavy standards and because it only requires hot air welding so they have no need to use solvents and obviously wont produce smoke either which is great news for those who fit the roof becuase there are no toxic fumes to worry about. A great choice by the Buddhist there and also lets not forget Single Ply Services  a family run flat roofing company based in Clevedon who actually done the work Top Notch Result All Around!

Tweets by singleplyltd

More Young Blood Coming Into The Roofing Industry

It’s great to see more young people getting involved in this industry so I was very pleased when I read the story of Gary McGeown who was awarded the Student of the Year Award.

A 25 year old roofing apprentice from Scarborough who works for JW Joinery Ltd has been named as Leeds College of Building’s ‘Student of the Year’.

Gary McGeown was presented with the coveted Governors’ Student of the Year Award by guest speaker Peter Duffy at the annual prize giving ceremony, which took place in front of more than 300 people at Leeds Town Hall.

Read full article here: ROOFING APPRENTICE BUILDS ON HIS SUCCESS WITH TRIO OF AWARD WINS

This is great news as ofcourse because we do need a steady flow of new people coming into this industry or who will fix your roof people? I doubt robots will be able to fix them any time soon and the closest your iPhone will come to fixing it will be by ringing a roofer! Well done Gary.

Related Article: Are New Roofers Still Coming Through?

Elon’s Pushing The Solar Tiles Hard

I love Elon Musk, he is a force to be wreckoned with and he very well may revolutionize the way we fit roof tiles forever, for the better ofcourse. Let’s see what he is up to now, or this minute anyway because he could change direction at a moments notice.

Tesla’s Elon Musk unveiled the new solar roof tiles at an event held on the set of former US TV drama Desperate Housewives in Los Angeles, where several homes had been fitted with a range of the new tiles

Tesla and SolarCity have unveiled the much-anticipated Solar Roof system, a building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) residential system comprised of a range of different tile formats, colours and coatings to replicate common conventional tile formats.

Read More Here: Tesla and SolarCity unveil BIPV solar system to rival conventional roofing

I really suggest you read the full article because not only is it well written, but I think it shows the direction we as roofers who yes, can be a bit old fashioned and slow to change, will have to take. This guy I believe will make things like solar tiles common plac which gets me very very excited as anyone who follows my blog knows how closely I follow solar. Go Elon!

Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRqSkR4ENAg

Possible Big Changes For Middlesbough?

I wish politicians would just go somewhere and die, all they do is meddle with peoples lives, produce nothing of value ever, make things more expensive, reduce efficiancy, waste vast sums of resources, resources that they stole from those who DO produce. When will people learn that politicians are just parasites that need to be ejected from th host…us!

Map showing proposed new boundaries for Teesside, from gazettelive.co.uk

Middlesbrough will “lose its identity” under radical changes to MP constituency boundaries, councillors claim.

The political map for Teesside will be completely redrawn under proposals from the Boundary Commission for England (BCE).

Read More Here: Middlesbrough will ‘lose its identity’ as centre of Teesside under boundary changes

Always meddling aren’t they? Go back to where you ame from politians, I herd it’s nice and warm in hell this time of year and leave Middlesbrough alone.

Well folks that’s all for this week, but be sure o come back next week for more news and updates.

 

Published Here First: Do Buddhist’s Care About Environmentally Friendly Roofing?

Has Brexit Effected The Roofing Industry?

Hi folks, Roofer Pro Middlesbrough here, lets just dive right in shall we because despite all of the propaganda from the media and Government, the world has not ended after Brexit, even tho the BBC would have us believe so. We have a nice story here with figures that come from none other than the Federation of Master Builders. Here is a nice PDF download for those who want to read what they found. http://resources.fmb.org.uk/docs/state-of-trade-q3-2016.pdf

 

Consumer demand for building work remained resilient in the three months following the vote for Brexit, new figures from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have revealed.

Commenting on the results of the first UK-wide survey of the SME construction sector post-referendum, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “Ongoing workloads for construction SMEs remained remarkably resilient in the months following the referendum vote, suggesting that consumer demand – which accounts for the bulk of SME work – has held up far better than anticipated.

Read full article here: Demand for Building Work Bucks Brexit, says FMB

I really recommend reading the full article and downloading the PDF, this goes not just for Roofers but anyone in the building industry. I trust the Federation of Master Builders so really nice of them to do this, we will naturally go through cycles of ups and downs regardless if we are officially in Europe or not, Japan trade with Holland no problem and there not in the EU so it was just scare mongering from the useless parasites, sorry I meant to say Beaurocrats in Belgium and beyond so this is not the big deal they made it out to be and it will be something else to scare you with in the 6 months time.

To reaffirm this lets see what the lads over at Roofing Cladding & Insulation Magazine had to say.

New figures from the Builders Merchants Building Index (BMBI) have provided further evidence that the UK construction industry is yet to feel any negative impact from decision to leave the European Union.

The figures show builders merchant sales up by 13.1%, with heavy building materials up by 14.1% and timber and joinery products up 11.8%. Overall like-for-like sales (allowing for two extra trading days) were up 2.8%. Year to date sales grew 5.4%.

Read more here: BMBI figures reaffirm industry growth

Quick little read this one so check it out, again, we naturally go through ups and downs and that’s just the way it is, whether your a roofer in Middlesbrough or a stock broker in New York, it is naturally. Please ignore politicians, beaurocrats and Mainsteam Media!

So, now we’ve covered roofing here in the UK, lets head over the pond to the good old US of A for a global perspective about sustainable roofing which I do believe is important for the future as you know if you read my blog posts.

CARLISLE, Pa. – The Sustainable Roofing and Waterproofing Alliance (SRWA) will host its eighth annual fall conference from Oct. 25-28, 2016, in Hershey, Pa. Featuring in-depth educational sessions and hands-on demonstrations designed to promote sustainable building practices, the SRWA fall conference will bring together a global audience of architects, design professionals, roof consultants, and building owners.

Read more: Global Audience to Attend Sustainable Roofing and Waterproofing Alliance Fall Conference

Now lets come back to the UK with some news from our friends over at SIG Roofing, a very popular business and for a reason, they are fully commited to provinding you with long lasting products that work.

SIG Roofing’s ONE Warranty for pitched roofing has gone from strength to strength following its launch in October 2015, with many contractors now taking advantage of this single package warranty. To provide even further benefits, additional industry leading products have been included to give contractors, property owners and specifiers alike yet more choice and flexibility.

Read More: ONE Warranty now gives even more

I love to see companies like this showing commitment to their products and services, SIG have been going strong for over 40 years! And I wish them atleast another 40. Lets hope more roofing companies follow suite with things like this because it protects everyone so well done to SIG Roofing.

Tweets by SIGRoofing

One more thing about SIG, last one I promise but I had to post about this because I believe this is important, what am I talking about? Well I will let our friends at The National Federation of Roofing Contractors give us a clue.

Working with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) as part of their Slate Focus group, SIG Roofing has risen to the challenge to help reduce the shortage of roofing slate skills by working to improve the standard of slate training in colleges across the UK.

Read full post here: SIG Roofing Working to Strengthen New Slater Skills

This is great ews and with the vast level of experience that SIG Roofing have who better to take on this much needed task?

I’ve spoken about the need for new roofers to come through and it looks like good old SIG are going to play there role in helping young people develop much needed skills like slating. Another well done from Roofer Pro Middlesbrough!

One last thing, now this has nothing to do with roofs at all but lets all wish John Hendrie a very happy birthday, what a Middlesbrough legend!

John Hendrie. 53 today.https://t.co/wkVaet2fkm

— Gazette Boro (@GazetteBoro) 24 October 2016

 

Thanks for reading gang, this should give you enough reading for now so I will see you next week, Cheers.

Published Here First: Has Brexit Effected The Roofing Industry?